Belfast’s SSE Arena will become The O2 Belfast this summer, joining other UK arenas already carrying the O2 branding.
The Odyssey Trust – the charity established to oversee the management and development of Northern Ireland’s Landmark Millennium Project, and O2 – one of the UK’s leading telecoms and entertainment brands – has announced the new long-term partnership that will see O2 become the official naming rights partner for Belfast’s iconic Odyssey site.
Having been Northern Ireland’s leading leisure, entertainment, and education destination since 2000, the new 10-year naming rights agreement will see the entire complex rebranded as The O2 Belfast. The site encompasses an 11,200-capacity arena – the largest indoor entertainment venue in Northern Ireland – that is also home to the Belfast Giants, the most successful team in Elite Ice Hockey League history, as well as the award-winning W5 science and discovery centre, the state-of-the-art W5 LIFE digital learning facility, and Odyssey Place.
Effective from 1 July 2026, The O2 Belfast will join O2’s expansive portfolio of 21 venues across 14 UK cities, which includes iconic venues like The O2 in London – renowned as the world’s most popular live entertainment, leisure, and retail destination – O2 Academy Brixton, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, O2 Academy Glasgow, and O2 Apollo Manchester.
Through its Priority Tickets platform, O2 customers can enjoy early access to tickets for thousands of live gigs and events across the UK 48 hours before general release, with over 1.7 million tickets sold in 2025 alone. As part of the agreement, O2 customers will gain access to exclusive Priority Tickets pre-sales for all shows coming to The O2 Belfast, from 1 July 2026.
Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said: “Live music and entertainment is in O2’s DNA and we couldn’t be more excited to have a new home in Northern Ireland. With The Odyssey Trust, we look forward to connecting visitors, enhancing the live experience and leveraging the power of O2’s network and benefits of Priority for our customers, at the largest arena in Northern Ireland. We can’t wait to welcome you to The O2 Belfast in July.”
Paul McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of The Odyssey Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome O2 as the site’s new naming rights partner of The O2 Belfast. This partnership marks an exciting chapter and reflects our shared ambition to deliver unforgettable, world-class experiences for the people of Northern Ireland and beyond. By working together, we look forward to building on the site’s already strong reputation and ensuring that we continue to deliver the best experience every time for all who visit the campus for years to come.”
The new partnership will also see O2 become the title sponsor of the Belfast Giants, marking a major milestone for the only professional ice hockey team on the island of Ireland. With the team showcasing the O2 logo, the Giants will be joining England’s men’s and women’s international rugby union teams – a partnership which spans over 30 years. The agreement represents O2’s first step into ice sports and its first major sponsorship of a Northern Ireland–based team.
As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting households, O2 will help learners of all ages through W5 and W5 LIFE, with exclusive discounts and perks made available via Priority. Northern Ireland’s award-winning science and discovery centre, W5, features over 250 STEM-based exhibits, interactive workshops, and hands-on science shows, while W5 LIFE equips learners with the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly digital economy.
As part of the agreement, Virgin Media O2 will also transform connectivity at the venue by deploying its own fibre network, doubling the existing capacity, introduce O2 WiFi, and roll out 5G coverage for O2 customers in the arena later this summer – reinforcing its commitment to delivering best-in-class connected experiences. This follows significant recent investment in mobile connectivity throughout Northern Ireland, including the introduction of 5G coverage to more than 1,000 new postcodes across the country in the past twelve months alone.
SSE Airtricity will proudly continue its longstanding relationship with the arena as the venue’s official energy partner, continuing to reward its customers with memorable experiences in the SSE Rewards Lounge and supporting The Odyssey Trust on its sustainability journey.